Traffic and life on the road in Chennai

This is a discussion on Traffic and life on the road in Chennai within Street Experiences, part of the Buckle Up category; Two days ago, my wife was visiting a sick friend in Ambattur. When we spoke in the afternoon, she told ...

Two days ago, my wife was visiting a sick friend in Ambattur. When we spoke in the afternoon, she told me she had booked a cab for 7.30pm. Thus, I was quite surprised to hear her opening the door at just after 8.05pm.

Yes, it was a holiday day, I think, but still ... Ambattur to Palavakkam in half an hour?

... be careful about a real bad pothole somewhere 1km before the hospital junction ...

update : this pothole/crater has now been patched up

Quote:

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

... not sure how to point out the exact location - this is on the lane adjacent to the median....

I had taken a bad hit on the Alto left-front-wheel on this same pothole . It used to be on the fourth bridge (counting from Pallikaranai side) and on the center of the road as you exit the bridge. But I had no way of identifying it coming from Thoraipakkam side. So, my thumb rule used to be 'Avoid the center of any bridge as you exit it' on this road, to avoid the crater !

Kiss no 1 : Just a few feet frorm the Grand Orient Hotel signal at Mount road. This happend when I braked suddenly to avoid a hit in front of my car. And, before I could even react, an over-enthusiast auto driver with 4 passengers rammed my Alto's hatch door at around 50-60kmph speed. DHOOMM! It happened in a second.

I stepped down and found the 4 passengers are girls, and they all are shocked, terribly shaken. This auto driver must have driven in a showing-off style because of girls (just my assumption for his unreasonable 50-60kmph speed). I found a 1'x1' dent that was 2" depth, without any scratches or cuts on the hatch door. And the auto's left-side front face was almost facing the sky at 45 degree angle! Looking at the damage the auto received, I was like -> Seriously I was happy to see that, because normally it happens the reverse causing a lot of damage to cars. My anger was gone! And I pulled that driver to settlement. Apparently, that auto was rented, and it does not have a permit. Sensing advantage in my side, I told him to pay me whatever he has, or else the police will be called to handle the matter. He had some Rs.300 in his pocket and paid me. I know he has to pay a lot to the auto-owner, coz it is more than Rs.5k job there. Front face got mis-aligned, the fork bends, and under body twisted on drivers side. I seriously wonder wat sort of fit that auto has got.

Kiss 2 : This is partly due to my mistake too. Here it goes. After parking my Alto close to my in-law's apartment's parking gate, I tried to open the door and an M80 slammed on the door at high speed. The M80 guy fell down, and his head met the road first, and body next! Yes, he was not wearing a helmet! Two empty water cans rolled away, and the m80 crashed down, and was making a weaning trutt-trutttt-put-putt sound. I regained my sense, ran down and lifted the guy. Found him alive, and to my relief he was shouting at me. Lucky he did not faint nor his skull was cracked. Without losing my temper I gave him water and made him relax. Soon a mob was started gathering, and to avoid unnecessary issues, i paid him Rs.200 to move away from there. Phew!

The cause for the accident was - this idiot was riding in a hurry to deliver empty water cans, and while crossing the part (where I parked), there was a man-hole protruding a few inches above the road. So this idiot took a quick right cut close to my car, and my bad, I opened the door at the same time.
Finally he suffered a lot of scratches but thankfully alive.

But, this time, my car's driver side door suffered a structural damage. It neither shuts, nor opens fully. The hinge structure has moved forward an inch making me to go for a body shop work.

If you open the door just when another vehicle is there, it is entirely your fault! You are very lucky that the biker was not seriously hurt. It's true, though, that bikers are often too close, and riding without any sense of potential dangers or hazards.

Another scratch to my car too. I came up against a tricycle cart. My fault entirely --- but why must they have those steel bars that cause so much damage at just a touch?

Life on the road --- life on my road is improved. A truck has been around and taken all the garbage away. The last time they did this was the day after the state election: I'm hoping that this does not also turn out to be a one-off election special!

Thanks. And yeah, I noticed it last week that it has been patched up. That was a nasty crater - I still can hear the loud thud the car made when it hit the pothole.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rajeshsundaram

After parking my Alto close to my in-law's apartment's parking gate, I tried to open the door and an M80 slammed on the door at high speed. The M80 guy fell down, and his head met the road first, and body next!

Please be careful while opening car doors - I know someone who died when his bike hit a car-door that was opened by the driver without observing traffic from behind.

If you think "time flies", you have obviously never attempted to quit smoking.

Time flies? ok... pass me the stopwatch, there's one flying across the room right now. EEeeeee....

sorry... seriously...

As a driver, I try to always look behind before opening the door. As a pedestrian, I watch out for for doors that are likely to open. I'm not a biker, but if I was, I don't think I'd ever pass within door's width of a car.

I'm not a biker, but if I was, I don't think I'd ever pass within door's width of a car.

That is the problem! The average chennai biker does not think, as he leaves his brains at home. If he thinks
1. He would have Rear view mirrors fitted (or never remove them in the first place)
2. And use them
3. And use proper signals before turning and just turn is head around *when* (and not before) making the turn.

I went to Villivakkam to day. To avoid the traffic I went late at 12 Noon. Still then it took 1 Hour to reach T Nagar. I was worried about T Nagar traffic and it was fine and took Loyola College Nelson Manickam Road Anna Nagar New Avadi road ICF Villivakkam took another 1 Hour. returning through New avadi Road till Chetput Nungambakkam,Gemini Saidapet Velachery it was 1 Hour 33 Minutes. It seems all times are oeak hours here. After the safe driving I insited my passenger to wear seat belt and followed Buddhha drive ignoring the threats of autos and the bikers.

Another annoying thing is when your waiting for the railway gates, these idiotic bike riders with side box dont really think about the extra side box they are carrying and almost everytime scratch our cars.

Gone are the times when i used to stay close to the gate. These days i stay put at my home and time my drive to get out of this nuisance.

Insane folks trying to squeeze between cars to save may be a minute before i over take them again in the roads. I dont want to cuss but i am so frustrated.

True. I experienced this even while i was travelling from Velachery to Alwarpet at around 12 Noon. At that time, there was no rain either and hence my take was, its due to the last minute shopping for diwali and also the crowd leaving home for vacation.

Trafic from cenotoph road junction was waiting till kotturpuram bridge around yday noon. Me thinks, its better to avoid this junction and go through alternate routes to reach mount road.

By the way, its been raining almost non-stop from yesterday midnight. Diwali celebrations are dependent on weather god now!

Its really a terrific morning in Chennai Road. I went from Medavakkam to Arumbakkam. My terrific experience started between Medavakkam and Kovilambakkam junction. There are water in many pits in the road. Though I crossed the water in 10Kms speed the tyre was falling in the pits under water. To avoid further I took Velachery Road and wanted to go through T Nagar,Nungambakkam road Nelson Manickam road is short but due to the doubt of water in Loyola subway I went towards chetput and reached Arumbakkam.Wanted to come back through Vadapzhani but I was told by my relatives that Vadapzhani also flooded.Again took the same way and reached. It took almost half a day for the trip.Please plan in advance to avoid delays in rain.